Carrying device



United States Patent Inventor William J. Libby Bellows Air Force Station, Hawaii (2587 Siesta Ave. Los Vegas NV 89109) Appl. No. 756,470 Filed Aug. 30, 1968 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 CARRYING DEVICE 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 224/5, 220/82; 150/33; 224/45 Int. Cl A45c 3/10 Field of Search 150/1 .7, 12,

33, 42; 224/5, 5.17, 45, 55, 56, 5.19, 45.10, 49; 206/8; 220/(lnquired); 229/46 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,172,196 9/1939 Flamm 224/45( 10)X 2,561,488 7/1951 Barkerm. 229/46 2,617,569 11/1952 Sommer 224/5(17)UX 3,301,451 1/ 1967 Halverson ..224/45(10)UX Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A carrying device adapted to be suspended from the shoulder of a person which comprises a container within which can be placed valuables or small loose items and an elongated loop by which the container is suspended which can be used to string articles to be carried thereon. The elongated loop can be withdrawn through the bottom of the container to clamp other articles to be carried therein.

. i ii CARRYING DEVICE The present invention relates to a carrying device that facilitates the carrying of numerous bulky or cumbersome items. The device has an elongated loop that allows the arti cles to be carried to be suspended from the shoulder of the person using the device. The elongated loop extends through the center of a canisterlike container and has a knot tied in the loop after emerging from the bottom of the container. The lid of the container is removable along the loop to permit watches, money and other valuables to be placed inside the container. The loop can be drawn below the container thereby providing an opening through which a beach mat, umbrella, or other elongated article may be inserted and held therein. Articles with handles or loops thereon such as ladies handbags, portable radios, sandals, or other articles may be strung onto the loop before it is placed on the shoulder. Thus it can be seen that a large number of difficult to carry articles can be suspended from the shoulder by the use of the instant device.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple but unique carrying device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a carrying device that enables the load supported thereby to be suspended from the shoulder of the person using the device while keeping their hands and arms free.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a carrying device that incorporates a container wherein valuables or small loose items may be kept hidden from view or from becoming lost.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a carrying device that enables all manner of articles to be carried thereon and suspended from the shoulder while providing a decorative appearance.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a person utilizing the instant invention to carry numerous articles usually-desired to be carried to the beach.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the instant invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a decorative insert being inserted in a transparent form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the canister with the lid removed therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral refers generally to the carrying device, with the numeral 12 denoting the canister storage compartment and the numeral 14 referring to the carrying assembly. The canister assembly comprises a closed cylindrical base 16 and a lid 18 to close the top thereof. The cylindrical base 16 has a peripheral wall 20 which terminates in a bottom 22'which has a hole 24 therein. The hole 24 in the bottom 22 communicates with a cylindrical tube 26 that is fastened at one end to the bottom 22 and continues in concentric relation up the middle of the cylindrical base 16 to a point level with the top of the wall 20 thereof. The top of the wall 20 has a groove 21 formed on the interior surface thereof whose function will be disclosed hereinafter. An upstanding annular ring or flange 28 is fixed to the bottom 22 in concentric relation thereto, and disposed inside of the wall of the cylindrical base 16. The annular ring 28 is of slightly less diameter than the cylindrical wall 20 of the canister member, so that a small gap exists between the wall 20 and the annular ring 28. The base 16 can be made of a transparent plastic material so that a decorative cylinder 30 can be inserted inside the base member and held in place by the annular ring 28, with the decorations thereon being viewable through the transparent material. It can also be understood, to facilitate low cost production thereof, that the cylindrical base member could be made of a translucent or opaque plastic, which would obviate the need of the ring 28 and the decorative cylinder 30.

In this situation, the decoration or change of color could be imparted to the plastic material before, during or afler formation of the base member 16. In the transparent configuration as disclosed in the drawings, a series of decorative cylinders 30 could be provided with the device so that the user could change the appearance of the device to suit the costume being worn or the occasion in which it is used.

The lid 18 of the canister assembly has an outside diameter equivalent to the circumference of the wall 20 of the cylindrical base member 16 and has a diametrically extending ridge 31 formed on the upper surface thereof. The ridge 31 forms a convenient grip to facilitate the installation and removal of the top 18 with respect to the canister assembly. There is a hole 32 in the center of the lid 18 which coincides in concentric relation thereto with a cylindrical ring 34 adapted to engage the upper end portion of the cylindrical tube 26. The undersurface 36 of the lid 18 has a groove 38 cut thereinto which forms a section 40 thereon of reduced diameter which is designed to interlock with the groove 21 on the top of the wall 20 of the canister when the upper end of cylindrical tube 26 is received within the cylindrical ring 34. The primary function of these interlocking grooves is to prevent the upper circumference of wall 20 from becoming distorted such that lid 18 could be properly alined with the base 16.

In FIG. 3 of the drawing, the cylindrical ring 34 is shown as having threads on the inside thereof to engage the outside threaded end of portion 27 to provide a fastening relation of the lid 18 to the cylindrical base 16. It should also be noted that in the interest of low cost production the upper end portion of the cylindrical tube 26 need not be screw threaded but can be smooth or slotted (not shown) and friction fitted into the bore of the ring 34. The cylindrical cap 18 can be made of similar plastic material as the base thereof, except that it be made of translucent or opaque material so that the contents of the canister assembly cannot be readily seen and production costs are lower. It can thus be seen that coordination of the colors in the decorative cylinder 30 or the material of the base member 16, whichever is used, can be had with the color of the top to produce a pleasing and decorative canister assembly.

The carrying assembly or sling is comprised mainly of an elongated flexible member 42. The elongated member 42 can be made of any one of the well-known: polypropylene rope, nylon rope, or leather thereby allowing a wide choice of material to suit the decoration and cost of the completed assembly. A rectangular shoulder pad 44 can be provided with two holes 46 therethrough to accommodate the elongated member. The shoulder pad can be made of a suitable resilient material or foam-backed leather or any other material of the sort to be coordinated with the other materials and colors of the device. When it is known that large or heavy loads will be carried with the device, the elongated member 42 can be inserted through the holes 46 in the shoulder pad. With the carrying assembly thus put together, the two ends of the elongated member 42 are threaded through the opening 32 in the lid of the canister assembly and further inserted through the cylindrical tube 26 until the ends emerge through the opening 24 in the bottom 22 of the canister assembly. A knot 48 is then tied in the ends of the elongated member 42 to provide a means to retain the canister assembly on the carrying assembly. The knot can be adjusted along the length of the ends of the elongated member to suit the height of the person using the device, or the number of articles to be carried on the elongated member and assembly.

Having thus described the structure of the device, referring to FIG. 1 illustrates how the device can be utilized. By grasping the loose ends of elongated member 42 beyond the knot 48 and elevating it, the canister assembly will he slid by gravity up the member 42 and a beach mat or other elongated article 50 inserted between the knot 48 in the member 42 and the canister member which is then allowed to drop back down toward the knot and firmly engage the article 50 therein. As can further be seen in FIG. 1 a ladys handbag 52, a beach wrap 54, and a pair of sandals 56 have been threaded onto the elongated member 42 and the shoulder pad 44 then mounted on the shoulder to suspend the weight of the articles therefrom. Having been thus disclosed in use to carry articles desired to be used at the beach, it can readily be seen that the carrying device could be used by students, athletes, or wherever cumbersome or difiicult to carry articles are required to be carried.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim:

1. A carrying device, comprising:

storage means, and suspension means, said storage means embodying a hollow container having a removable closure, said hollow container comprising a cylinder closed at one end, said closure comprising a circular lid, said cylinder having a concentric hollow tube therein fixed to said closed end and whose free end terminates within the cylinder said end having an opening communicating with the interior of said hollow tube, said lid having a concentric cylindrical ring on the inside thereof adapted to engage the free end of said hollow tube, said lid having a hole communicating with said cylindrical ring, said suspension means extending through the hole in said circular lid, hollow tube and closed end and engaging said closed end in a manner to suspend the storage means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said suspension means is an elongated flexible member with a knot therein to engage the closed end of the cylinder.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said suspension means includes a pad mounted therealong to distribute the load of said device on a part of the users body.

4. A carrying device comprising, in combination, a hollow portable article storing and transporting container open at its top and having a centrally apertured bottom, said bottom provided with a centrally disposed upstanding hollow guide tube having an open upper end portion terminating in a plane adjacent the level of said open top, a manually applicable lid removably attachable to and normally closing said open top and having a centrally located hole in alinement with the aperture in said bottom and alined and communicating with the hollow portion of said guide tube, and suspending and carrying means for said container comprising an elongated flexible element looped upon itself between its ends and providing a sling having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion of said sling being slidingly threaded through the hole in said lid, the hollow portion of said guide tube and extended through and beyond the aperture in said bottom and the extending lower ends of said flexible element being adjustably connected and providing a limit stop, said stop abutting the underneath side of said bottom.

5. The device defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein the lower ends of said flexible elements are tied together by an easy-to-untie knot, said knot being of a size greater than the size of said aperture, the knotted lower end portion of said sling being optionally usable in conjunction with the bottom of said container to retentively encircle and carry unwieldy things such as, for example, a rolled beach blanket, mat or the like.

6. The device defined in and according to claim 4, wherein the upper end of said sling is provided with an adjustably attached shoulder pad which is adapted to be saddled when in use atop the shoulder of the user.

7. The device defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein a centralized portion of the underneath side of said lid is provided with means which is separably connected with a coacting upper end portion of said tube.

8. The device defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said container is made of trans arent material, and a decorative sleevelike cylinder fitte telescopingly and removably into the receptacle portion of said container and lining and imparting a decorative appearance to said container. 

